I been caught out with a booking today...

[Pazz]

I just thought I would let you know about a booking that never happened which I had for this afternoon in an Athletic Club for a joint children's birthday party. The clients booking was made little over a week ago so we decided not to request a booking fee as per normal procedure for this due to the time factor. We took the client's name, address and telephone number and the details for the party. She gave us the 2 names for the birthday boy and girl and told us we would be alongside a face painter and bouncy castle. She even gave us good directions to the venue and said they would bring prizes for pass the parcel! I sent out written confirmation in the week for this as normal.

So this morning arrived and I was well prepared, had a good cooked breakfast (as I would be out all afternoon and then I have another booking this evening) and I loaded the van. I arrive at the venue for 1pm as I indicated only to find that there was a children's party just starting in the room. There was a disco already setup on stage and a face painter was there too along with some guests who had already arrived. I spoke to a lady who informed me that there was a children's party going on but the disco already setup on the stage was someone who had just bought all their equipment from ebay especially for the occasion! She also said that another dj had also just turned up and it appears he was in the same boat as me! I checked my booking details and asked the lady the question of who's party it was but the name she mentioned didn't match the person who made the booking with me. Both the lady and the guy running the venue had never heard of the mysterious person who had booked my services!:bang:

I said there is nothing either of them could do and I said I would try and contact the lady who placed the booking with me. I only had a mobile number which I called but the person who answered said that the lady I needed to speak to was down the shop and to call back in 25 minutes. I have been calling back ever since and have left a voicemail but they do not appear to want to speak to me.:Censored: :confused: :Censored:

I am a bit frustrated as my time has been wasted today and I never took a deposit/booking fee for this due to it being short notice. The least you would have expected is an explanation but it seems you can't get that from some people these days as they are just pathetic. I have worked hard to get a good reliable booking system in place over the last year and it's frustrating that there are still loopholes.

So, my conclusion, I have decided, is that I will insist on receiving a booking fee for all events from now on, no matter how short notice they are. If they are not happy with this I will say they will need to look elsewhere. I am fed up with people leaving it until last minute to book a disco. I don’t mind if they say they have been let down by another disco but when it simply is just through a lack of organisation it frustrates me! I will also contact all my bookings at least the day before to confirm all details and if a booking fee is not received by then, I think I am well in my right to make a decision whether I turn up for the event. Hopefully this way I will not lose out on business and I will not look like a complete wally!

Luckily, I have another booking this evening so this softens the blow slightly. What do any of you think of this and can you make any suggestions for improvements? Would you continue to chase this client for any compensation or am I better just letting it drop? I don't want to go overboard with this as the majority of the bookings I get are fine but I also want to improve all the time.

Here’s hoping for a better disco tonight – I have just called them and they confirmed tonight’s disco is all good to go ahead!

Cheers
:beer1:

[Danno13]

Another way round this would have been to email them the booking form, and have them print, sign and return it, at least then you have something in writing from them and you could persue payment.

Or, get a streamline machine, and take payment by card over the phone.

[Pazz]

Hi Danno, I usually send a booking form out to be signed and returned along with the booking fee. I could try introducing this for short notice ones though but I'll have a look into it but as even in this day and age some people may not have access to email and I can imagine a lot of the client's I deal with having no idea how to do this eg problem opening the booking form and printing it out their end.

The streamline payment machine sounds good for me to take a debit card payment - is this easy to setup and a reliable way of receiving payment? Is it going to set me back a few pounds?

[CRAZY K]

I just thought I would let you know about a booking that never happened which I had for this afternoon in an Athletic Club for a joint children's birthday party. The clients booking was made little over a week ago so we decided not to request a booking fee as per normal procedure for this due to the time factor. We took the client's name, address and telephone number and the details for the party. She gave us the 2 names for the birthday boy and girl and told us we would be alongside a face painter and bouncy castle. She even gave us good directions to the venue and said they would bring prizes for pass the parcel! I sent out written confirmation in the week for this as normal.

So this morning arrived and I was well prepared, had a good cooked breakfast (as I would be out all afternoon and then I have another booking this evening) and I loaded the van. I arrive at the venue for 1pm as I indicated only to find that there was a children's party just starting in the room. There was a disco already setup on stage and a face painter was there too along with some guests who had already arrived. I spoke to a lady who informed me that there was a children's party going on but the disco already setup on the stage was someone who had just bought all their equipment from ebay especially for the occasion! She also said that another dj had also just turned up and it appears he was in the same boat as me! I checked my booking details and asked the lady the question of who's party it was but the name she mentioned didn't match the person who made the booking with me. Both the lady and the guy running the venue had never heard of the mysterious person who had booked my services!:bang:

I said there is nothing either of them could do and I said I would try and contact the lady who placed the booking with me. I only had a mobile number which I called but the person who answered said that the lady I needed to speak to was down the shop and to call back in 25 minutes. I have been calling back ever since and have left a voicemail but they do not appear to want to speak to me.:Censored: :confused: :Censored:

I am a bit frustrated as my time has been wasted today and I never took a deposit/booking fee for this due to it being short notice. The least you would have expected is an explanation but it seems you can't get that from some people these days as they are just pathetic. I have worked hard to get a good reliable booking system in place over the last year and it's frustrating that there are still loopholes.

So, my conclusion, I have decided, is that I will insist on receiving a booking fee for all events from now on, no matter how short notice they are. If they are not happy with this I will say they will need to look elsewhere. I am fed up with people leaving it until last minute to book a disco. I don’t mind if they say they have been let down by another disco but when it simply is just through a lack of organisation it frustrates me! I will also contact all my bookings at least the day before to confirm all details and if a booking fee is not received by then, I think I am well in my right to make a decision whether I turn up for the event. Hopefully this way I will not lose out on business and I will not look like a complete wally!

Luckily, I have another booking this evening so this softens the blow slightly. What do any of you think of this and can you make any suggestions for improvements? Would you continue to chase this client for any compensation or am I better just letting it drop? I don't want to go overboard with this as the majority of the bookings I get are fine but I also want to improve all the time.

Here’s hoping for a better disco tonight – I have just called them and they confirmed tonight’s disco is all good to go ahead!

Cheers
:beer1:

Do what we do---:D

Postal order by recorded delivery next day delivery for the deposit/ booking fee.

Cash before playing a note of music on the night.

There IS plenty of time.

No deposit--NO SHOW.

This is the second week running we have done this;)

By the way if they cant manage that they are time wasters for sure:bang:

CRAZY K

[soundmaster mobile disco]

Hi Pazz sorry to hear of this afternoons disco.It goes to show that there are still devious people out there taking advantage of us.

I think a lot of us on this form have had some sort of experience of this situation at some point in there career.

We just have to make sure it does not happen to us again.

Are childrens parties worth all this hastle?

[Pazz]

Cheers Crazy K - some good advice there :) Hi soundblaster most children's and teenage parties I get are worth it as I do get a fair few bookings around my area which usually go ahead without any bother. There are always some nightmare ones but the good bookings always far outweigh the bad ones! :)

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

The streamline payment machine sounds good for me to take a debit card payment - is this easy to setup and a reliable way of receiving payment? Is it going to set me back a few pounds?

Join the FSB and you get a preferential rate for ir.

I have been using one for a couple of years now and find more and more people use the facility. It is very useful for things like P.A. hire and last minute bookings.

At the end of last year I did a £500+ P.A hire that I took 3 days before the actual date and took all the money at time of booking.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Do what we do---:D

Cash before playing a note of music on the night.



And what use is that in Pazz's case? :confused:

[Danno13]

Join the FSB and you get a preferential rate for ir.


Yup, you save the £200+ setup fee and first three months rental are free, then £15 a month and 35p per transaction for debit cards and 2% for credit cards. After 6 months you can apply for a rate review to get the transaction fees down, depending on how much you've put through.

I take about half of payments this way, most of the rest by cheque (usually when they're sending it with the booking form) and a couple by BACS.

[NKR]

Sounds like someone had a grudge against the party organiser and had done the same thing to another DJ as well hoping one of you might kick off and ruin their day.

It happens.

[CRAZY K]

And what use is that in Pazz's case? :confused:

If he followed my suggested procedure he would not have had the problem.

Using a debit/ credit card system is easier but he may not wish to go to the expense of the deduction which Corabar Steve tells me is about 3 or 4 per cent.

CRAZY K

[Corabar Entertainment]

If he followed my suggested procedure he would not have had the problem.

Using a debit/ credit card system is easier but he may not wish to go to the expense of the deduction which Corabar Steve tells me is about 3 or 4 per cent.

CRAZY KSlight exaggeration there Alan (and I heard the phone call! :p )

[wensleydale]

I think the moral of the story is dont leave the house unless you have received at least some of the fee.
Last minute bookings are generally desperate- therefore they will find a way of getting the cash to you if they need to, whether it be bank transfer, post, or in one case a couple of years ago, getting into his car as soon as we came off the phone and bringing it round.

Whilst I normally dont accept paypal this could work in this situation.

[CRAZY K]

Slight exaggeration there Alan (and I heard the phone call! :p )

Well whats the percentage--thats what I made it without a calculator
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Alan
CRAZY K

[Corabar Entertainment]

:confused: Calculator? :confused:

Steve told you it was 'about 3%'.

We were specifically talking about Nochex: different payment systems have different fee scales... plus, the % varies from customer to customer (depending on how much you use it: ie the more money you put through the account, the lower your fee is), but the top fees are 'about 3%' :D

[CRAZY K]

:confused: Calculator? :confused:

Steve told you it was 'about 3%'.

We were specifically talking about Nochex: different payment systems have different fee scales... plus, the % varies from customer to customer (depending on how much you use it: ie the more money you put through the account, the lower your fee is), but the top fees are 'about 3%' :D

Thanks, I wasnt trying to do an imitation of a British Politician--distorting the truth--:eek:

Alan
CRAZY K

[Corabar Entertainment]

:lol:

[Pazz]

Thanks for the responses again guys. I didn't manage to get hold of the client who let me down so I have chosen to move on and learn from this. I will be taking deposits for all last minute bookings and definitely insisting on receiving these before the event and they will have to find a way of getting this to me if they want my services. I will also be contacting all clients at leat 24 hours before my events to confirm everything is still going ahead. I think this is good business practice and the best way forward. If all these precautions don't work I will look into a debit card system. Fingers crossed I don't get anymore let downs!

[Creature]

I have a paypal account (well 4 of them) that i set up for the disco last year. and so far only 6 peopel used the facility - must admit tho its very handy with last minute bookings.

and with most peopel who buy at online auctions having a paypal account many know are only to happy to use it :)

its amazing how quick it adds up till ya send it to ya bank account :):)

[soundtracker]

I don't do deposits even for last minute bookings, they pay the whole kaboosh up front, or look elsewhere.

[Mark Wild]

I don't do deposits even for last minute bookings, they pay the whole kaboosh up front, or look elsewhere.

Like your style :)

[Corabar Entertainment]

I don't do deposits even for last minute bookings, they pay the whole kaboosh up front, or look elsewhere.

Am I reading this right Pete: you take the full amount at the time of booking, even for bookings made 1yr+ in advance?

[worldofparties]

The streamline payment machine sounds good for me to take a debit card payment - is this easy to setup and a reliable way of receiving payment? Is it going to set me back a few pounds?

Not at all. Card Save, part of the RBS Group offers this service. It only costs about £52 per quarter paid to card save via direct debit. Streamline send out monthly totals inc. commission charge usually about 2% for Credit Cards, however haggle them, I’m only getting charged 1.75% and 26p For Debit Cards. You can also Z your machine each month to make sure there totals add up to your machine.

The terminal has brought in over 30-35% of my revenue this year and you will find it is not only great for last min booking but most of your customers will use this option as it is simple and fast, they don't have to worry about bringing cash on the night.

I had a customer book a bouncy castle they said to the delivery driver after coming to pick it up, "oh, I've not got money, can I just phone up and pay by card later" - Please watch out for this. People will try anything not to pay!

[rob1963]

Am I reading this right Pete: you take the full amount at the time of booking, even for bookings made 1yr+ in advance?

If that's the case, I dread to think how many bookings he loses.

[CRAZY K]

Am I reading this right Pete: you take the full amount at the time of booking, even for bookings made 1yr+ in advance?

I think this is for last minute bookings only.:confused:

Generally we reckon for Barn Dances if they put a Postal Order in the post on recorded delivery theres a very good chance they will PAY BEFORE WE PLAY on the night;)

This has actually happened now 2 weeks on the trot.:(

No Postal Order no booking:D :D :D

A little unsophisticated but hey it works.

Actually this week the client sent CASH next day delivery:eek: :eek: :eek:

Not clever:bang:

CRAZY K